Page 22 of Gua rdian of Blood and Shadow

I stared down at the ring, but my focus shifted past it to the polished surface of the bowl, where my skewed reflection bore a closer resemblance to my mom than to me. “What were you thinking?” I whispered. “Did you know? Did you see what would happen? Did you let it happen?”

A soft knock preceded the door creaking open. I spun around as Javier entered with a tray of food—pizza—his dark eyes taking in the sight of me at the window, his expression guarded. “It’s leftovers from earlier,” he said quietly, setting the tray on the foot of the bed. “It’s been so long since I prepared food for anyone. I’m not sure I remember how.”

I smiled and shook my head. “This is perfect.” The domesticity felt surreal. My consort bringing me food in my mother’s bedchamber. My mother’s sanctuary becoming mine.

“I can almost feel her in here,” he said, looking around the room.

“I know what you mean.” I glanced down at the ring, twisting it on my finger, drawing comfort from its weight. “She left this for me,” I said, holding up my hand so the moonstone caught the light. “Like she knew I’d return someday.”

Javier’s eyes widened, recognition flickering across his features. “Diana’s ring,” he said, his voice hushed. “She used it during rituals. It helped her focus her magic. I never saw her take it off—not even once.”

A shiver ran through me. “I don’t know if I can do this, Javi,” I admitted, curling my fingers into a fist and tucking my hand against my chest. “Be what she was. What everyone needs me to be.”

“We don’t need you to be Diana,” he said steadily. “Simply be yourself, my Luna.”

I wrapped my arms around my middle, suddenly feeling small. “And if that’s not enough?”

Javier’s weak reflection appeared behind mine in the window, his expression grave but unwavering. “It will be more than enough. Your mother was extraordinary, but you are—you’re something else entirely.”

I turned to face him. “What do you mean?”

His jaw worked like he was weighing his words. “Your power manifests differently than hers did—than any queen I’ve encountered.”

My pulse quickened. “Is that bad?”

He shook his head, but I saw the reservation in his eyes. Felt it across our bond. “I’ve long thought you were destined for something greater than simply maintaining the balance.”

“What doesthatmean?” My voice barely above a whisper. His explanations only bred more questions.

Javier’s gaze drifted to the window, to the angry sky. “I’m not sure.” The admission seemed to cost him. Javier had always been the one with answers. It had always been, “I’ll tell you when you’re older,” and never, “I don’t know.”

“Come,” Javier said, capturing my hand and guiding me toward the bed and the tray of pizza. “You must eat before your training with Isador.”

14

Thecombinedhousesigilrepresenting all three immortal Houses with a sun, crescent moon, and stars inlaid into the marble floor of the entryway shimmered at Isador’s touch. A moment later, it vanished, revealing a narrow stone staircase spiraling down into darkness. Silver sigils in the curved descending wall flared to life, marked with various accent colors that pulsed gently, almost like the Moon Sanctuary had a heartbeat.

“These chambers were created by Selene herself,” Isador said. “Only those accepted by the goddess may enter—queens and their bound consorts.” She started down the winding stairs, her long bohemian skirt trailing behind her like a queen of old. “Come now, child,” she commanded, her use ofchildto address me throwing me off now that she had recovered from her imprisonment and appeared no older than me.

I glanced at my consorts, standing around the newly exposed passage in the floor. Javier was on my right, his body still as he assessed the staircase for hidden dangers. Bastian stood close to my left, his amber eyes scanning the darkness. Ash and Thane waited on the far side of the opening, steady as always.

The first step down felt like crossing a threshold into some unknown realm. Power thrummed through the stone beneath my feet. My fingers trailed along the wall, feeling a surge of energy every time they crossed one of the sigils left by countless queens before me.

The staircase ended in an arched doorway that opened into a vast circular chamber that stole my breath. Above us, the domed ceiling mirrored a starlit sky, centered on a crystalline sphere glowing like a captured moon. Silver sigils marked with blood-red laid out the moon phases in a large circle on the stone floor. The walls were covered in a single, seamless black mural that depicted Selene, Helios, and Eos facing off against the Shadow King, their immortal warriors clashing with the shadow scourge.

“Welcome to the Selenarium,” Isador said. “This is where you’ll learn to truly harness your power as High Queen.”

I stepped across the circle formed by the crimson sigils, and the crystal moon overhead pulsed brighter. The air felt thick with centuries of accumulated magic. Sensing the tension from my consorts, I glanced back toward the archway. Ash and Thane scanned the walls while Javier’s attention remained locked on me. Bastian, however, seemed to be caught in an internal struggle. His eyes were squeezed shut, the tendons in his neck bulged, and his hands curled into tight fists. Energy rippled beneath his skin, making a faint golden light writhe under the black surface of the tattoos visible on his arms and neck.

“Bas?” I asked, quickly crossing to him. I raised my hands to his face, and the instant my skin touched his, a shiver of power washed over us both. His tattoos flared gold, then settled back to their usual black, and he visibly relaxed, bowing his head.

“Uh, Isador,” I said, glancing toward my mentor. “What was that?”

“It would seem you had to beseech the goddess to welcome the chosen of Helios into her space. Not even your consort bond could override his primary allegiance, at least in the goddess’s eyes.” Isador studied Bastian from across the chamber. “Your tattoos, boy–how did you come by them?”

Bastian still seemed dazed by whatever had just happened, so I answered for him. “They just appeared,” I said. “It started when he was a baby, and the markings grew as he did.”

Isador’s eyes narrowed as she scanned Bastian from head to toe, like she was only truly seeing him for the first time right now. “Hmph,” she grunted and held out one hand, beseeching us farther into the chamber. “Come along, now. Let us begin.” She retrieved a familiar vial from the pocket of her skirt.

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